SaaS for SMBs

According to the report "Software-as-Service Hot Spots: Construction, Healthcare, and Financial" by AMI-Partners, there are approximately 500 SaaS vendors in the United States currently. The report states that these SaaS vendors are beginning to offer services that match the requirements of the vertical industries. Mostly, the providers have focused on offering horizontal business applications such as CRM. Vendors in the construction, healthcare, and financial services markets are working to improve communication within the company and a company’s collaboration with business partners.

The construction industry works with several parties involved in a given project; this has resulted in the need for systems that facilitate multiparty information so that time and budget limitations are not exceeded. SaaS vendors are developing product management applications as well as SCM programs that enable engineers and contractors to view databases located in the back-offices by means of their cellphones and PDAs.

The government meets up to 46% of the national healthcare expenses in the US and is looking for ways to make healthcare providers work in a more efficient manner. SaaS vendors are concentrating on practice management that will enable healthcare providers to control inefficiencies and concomitant high costs. An on-demand information management system is being developed by IBM.

Financial services are offering web based services with the help of SaaS vendors. They are also updating their record management systems in order to comply with government regulations regarding public and private companies.

The penetration of SaaS in the SMB market is set to increase over the next one year; more so with the increase in the availability of broadband Internet.